vice. call... and lock in your rate for 12 months today. liberty mutual insurance. responsibility. what's your policy? i just got started and i'm like "hey, that first 20 came off, well it wasn't too hard at all." i love breads. you can still eat bread.

i love my sweets. i can still have a cookie on weight watchers. i love the barcode scanner. occasionally, i'll use it at the bar. of course! that's what it's for, right? bar code. oh i think i'm never going there again. i feel healthy. and just...young again. [ female announcer ] weight watchers online. the power of weight watchers completely online. join for free today. thanks for watching. chris matthews is next. pow, right in the kisser. let's play "hardball." ♪ good evening. i'm chris matthews in washington. let me start tonight with this. yesterday a day of infamy for the republican party. general colin powell told the vivid nasty truth. he blasted his party especially

its leaders for engaging in flagrant race-baiting. 345e7b of his points have been made on "hardball." the racist language about the president of the united states, about him being lazy, the unending background assault of the birthers saying the president is not legitimate, not even an authentic american. jen the general did what i and others have been pounding for months, this multistate republican plan to shrink black electoral strength by slamming down on the chance to vote. what colin powell said yesterday is going right to the heart of the republican intolerance made more powerful by the fact that the indictment has now been made by this country's most celebrated african-american republican. eugene robinson is a pulitzer prize winning columnist for "the washington post" and an msnbc contributor. alex wagner is the most of "now." the celebrated program with her noontime greatness coming at us every day of the week. let's listen to general powell db i always have to have a lighter note because this is tough stuff. here is general powell on "meet

the press" yesterday. >> there's also a dark vein of intolerance in some parts of the party. what do i mean by that? what i mean by that is they still sort of look down on minorities. how can i evidence that? when i see a former governor say that the president is shucking and jiving, that's a racial era slave term. when i see another former governor after the president's first debate where he didn't do very well says that the president was lazy. he didn't say he was slow, he was tired, he didn't do well. he said he was lazy. now, it may not mean anything to most americans. but to those of us who are african-americans, the second wort is shiftless and a third word that goes with it. birther, the whole birth movement, why do senior republican leaders tolerate this kind of discussion within the party? >> the great thing about colin powell besides being a great man, he has a great sense of history.

>> he does have a sense of history. you know, the thing was he went there. david didn't take him there. he volunteered to go there, to call out the republican party as the senior african-american figure in the republican party, call them out on this coded racial language, this not so coded racial language. it was kind of a shot across the bow i think, and kind of planted a flag for moderate republicans to say, hey, you know, he's right. we really do need to reshape the party and reshape its message if we hope to survive. >> i think it's very important what you pointed out, that he brought this up. david asked him other things, important things, but i think he made it. will he lead on this? can he lead? does he have the trction with the party to move people like christie to speak out, the more moderate forces in the party? >> he provides a certain amount of cover i think for others. now, he hasn't been a sort of inside baseball political figure, you know. he's not the kind of guy who is

then going to pick up the phone and make 50 phone calls to people saying back me up here. but it was so public and so purposeful that i think it's a moment that will be remembered when colin powell kind of called the party out -- >> so well said. >> and it's something that people are going to have to answer for. >> i called it a day of infamy, al elects. here is my point. it bugs me as a white guy to be blunt about it, i think it's an embarrassment to white people as well as a travesty in our country generally that people engage in this crap at this point in our history. when we do have an african-american president, ought to be proud of the damn fact instead of going in the other direction. what i can't believe is the people i talk to say what are you talking about matthews? we're not engaging in race-baiting. you're hearing something here. and that's what really bugs me about people that don't want to hear for some sick reason, don't want to hear what's going on here, and thank god colin powell finally came out and called out these guys like reince priebus the head of the party. he didn't call him by name. he was a gentleman, although i

don't know why he was. i would have called out sarah palin. i'd have called out sununu. these are names of people that use that rotten language. >> and the list goes on, right, chris? rand paul -- >> donald trump. >> rand paul doesn't support the voting rights act. haley barbour, who is a de facto leader of the republican party has voiced support for white citizens councils. i mean, you're talking about a litany of -- these aren't even dog whistles at this point. this is incredibly racially loaded language, and after sarah palin made the shucking and jiving comments, she doubled down on them. i guess the question is, is this a moment for the republican party? is this an inflection point? do they say, hey, we lost the black vote by 93%. we're losing hispanics by 73%. we're losing asian americans by 71%. do they learn these lessons? is there any -- >> unless it is let's suppress that vote we can't get. here is general powell getting

to that point of voter suppression which was organized in like three dozen states by the republican party to stop blacks from being able to vote the way they normally vote. let's listen. >> i think what the republican party needs to do now is take a very hard look at itself and understand that the country has changed. the country is changing demographically and if the republican party does not change along with that demographic, they're going to be in trouble, and so when we see that in one more generation the minorities of america, african-americans, hispanic-americans, and asian-americans will be the majority of the country, you can't go around saying we don't want to have a solid immigration policy. we're going to dismiss the 47%. we are going to make it hard for these minorities to vote as they did in the last election. what did this produce? the court struck most of that down. most importantly, it caused people to turn out and stand in line because these republicans were trying to keep us from voting. >> gene, the leaders is what he talked about.

he wants the leaders to lead the party. you think about speaker boehner, when he publicly says i can't corral, i can't stop the birthers from talking the way they talk, that's just their opinion. and you hear people like john sununu who i thought was a heavyweight republicans for years using terms -- why doesn't the president learn how to be an american? it's not just the one line, it's lots of lines. >> you're absolutely right because the leadership of the republican party as most people see it is the leadership in congress. it's john boehner and mitch mcconnell -- >> and priebus. >> and reince priebus, and if those people aren't realizing the demographic realities, aren't realizing that the party has to be a big tent party if it's ever going to win national elections again, then where goeth the gop? >> let me tell you -- you're laughing -- the weird thing is you're turning off black votes if people vote, but you're also turning out the electorate, alex. the giddy part of this is, as you once said a long time ago,

frank rizzo in philly who wasn't too popular hmong african-americans what's the greatest voter register in my city's history. they were not going to be talked into not voting. they showed up. here is general powell say it caused people to turn out and stand in line because these republicans were trying to keep us from voting. it had an adverse attempt on their attempt to shut down the vote. alex. >> i'm sorry. i thought you were going to play the clip. it's not just bad for republicans, it's great for democrats, but at the end of the day, chris, i mean, maybe i'm too romantic about this, but i really do believe in the importance of a two-party system, and when -- the root of this, we know this, it's gerrymandering, redirvething, it's because they don't have to play ball, and you now have a republican party that is basically held hostage by a small minority that really only cares about getting primaried and about their own districts. when they are no longer putting the party as a number one

priority. when that is no longer a consideration, to say nothing of the actual country. i mean, then you have a real crisis. and i have long maintained inviting the tea party in, inviting in what is increasingly a radical faction of conservatives to the tent of the republican party, i don't know how you reconcile that at the end of the day. there has got to be a schism at some point. >> here is general powell saying the party has to fix itself before it worries about putting up an electable candidate. he says don't think about candidates, think about message. here he is. >> everybody wants to talk about who is going to be the candidate? you better think first about what's the party you're actually going to represent? if it's just going to represent the far right wing of the political spectrum, i think the party is in difficulty. i'm a moderate. i'm still a republican. that's how i was raised, and until i voted for mr. obama twice, i voted for seven straight republican presidents. >> that's absolutely right. if the republican party is going to be a fridge party, then it

marginalizes itself and becomes less relevant to the discourse. only obstructionist is what the party is spike seeking -- >> what is their plan? >> i don't know but it's a slam. as someone who believes in progressive ideas, i realize that not having a smart, engaged conservative party, republican party makes progressive lazy frankly, and unimaginative and it's bad for the country. bad for the country -- >> i think i spent a good -- i admitted something last week. don't we all like to go into the booth knowing we have an option play. if the democrats have been blowing it, we give the republicans a shot or the other way around snp you can actually choose. here is general powell you thought i would be playing. here he is talking about the republican's image problem. you respond to this, alex. let's listen. >> the party has gathered unto itself a reputation that it is a party of the rich, it is the party of lower taxes, but there are a lot of people who are lower down the food chain, the economic chain, who are also

paying lots of taxes relative to their income, and they need help. we need more education work being done in this country. we need a solid immigration policy. we have to look at climate change. there are a lot of things that the american penal are expecting, and the republican party as they get ready for the next election really has to focus on some of these issues and not ignore them. >> chris, what's sad to me about that is that by virtue of mentioning the phrase climate change, it's almost like colin powell has kicked himself out of the republican party. this party used to play ball on that issue. now they're denying the actual science behind it. they have swung so far right, and my question after all of this, after that interview which was incendiary and was very much a line in the sand for the gop -- >> it's history making. >> when will the republican party admit they have a problem? because every time something like this happens, there is a doubling down, there is a defense, there is an attack on the messenger. there is a problem here. the party is in crisis and someone has got to bring it together. >> it's one of those magic

moments when martin luther king was jailed back in '60 and kind made the call to mrs. king and nixon said i'm not going to do it and jackie robinson left the trade saying this guy doesn't get it. >> this is a moment that we're going to remember, i think, and the republican party really should pay attention. it really should. >> we're making the nouds here. we're trying to shake them up. thank you gene robinson and alex wagn wagner. president obama warns republicans they won't get ransom for agreeing not to crash the economy. he's talking tough ahead of the next big fight with congress over the debt creating. the president said vice president biden has presented had i am with a list of common sense steps to prevent gun violence. but the biggest question is how much of it the administration can actually get passed through the congress. and watching last night's golden globes, wung thing was clear to me, america once again feels good about itself. we've got a new sense of optimism and the movies show it. the latest attack on science by a republican member of the house science committee. what a strange name for that crowd. that's in the "sideshow" tonight. and this is "hardball," the place for politics. that can her cholesterol? and it tastes good?

sure does! wow. it's the honey, it makes it taste so... well, would you look at the time... what's the rush? be happy. be healthy. yeah. then how'd i get this... [ voice of dennis ] ...safe driving bonus check? every six months without an accident, allstate sends a check. ok. [ voice of dennis ] silence. are you in good hands?

one week away from president obama's second inaugural and all this week we're going to be looking back at great inaugural moments from the past. back in 1993 the 46-year-old bill clinton took the oath of office for the first time. he became the first baby boomer in the white house and told the country that change is not something to fear. >> when our founders boldly declared america's independence to the world and our purposes to the almighty, they knew that america to endure would have to change. not change for change sake, but change to preserve america's ideals, life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness. though we march to the music of our time, our mission is timeless. each generation of americans must define what it means to be an american.

>> well, bill clinton, who had a history of being long-winded, went on to deliver what aides said was the third shortest inaugural address in american history. we'll be right back. absorb calcium, caltrate's double the d. it now has more than any other brand to help maximize calcium absorption. so caltrate women can move the world.

welcome back to "hardball." in his final press conference of his first presidential term president obama went on offense warning republicans not to play politics with the debt ceiling. here is some of what he had to say. >> raising the debt ceiling does not authorize more spending. it simply allows the country to pay for spending that congress has already committed to. if congressional republicans refuse to pay america's bills on time, social security checks and veterans' benefits will be delayed. we might not be able to pay our troops our honor our contracts with small business owners. markets could go haywire, interest rates would spike for anybody who borrows money, every home own we are a mortgage.

it would be a self-inflicted wound on the economy. so to even entertain the idea of this happening, of the united states of america not paying its bills, is irresponsible. it's absurd. >> well, the president hass got to get past the debt ceiling in order to achieve his second term agenda but how does he do it when some republicans are threatening shutdown. chuck todd and howard fineman. chuck, you know, i get the sense i was listening to the late general schwarzkopf, the man shaping the battlefield. he's basically saying if this government gets shut down and we're not paying our bills, it's a decision by the republican-led house of representatives. he wants the story played that way. will the press or can it objectively say that if the government shuts down it's the republicans, simply their doing? >> when it comes to debt creeling if we -- there's two separate questions here. one -- and there's two separate ideas of is there something to negotiate.

one is debt ceiling and what the president is saying there's no discussion on that. on the government shutdown, there seems to be a different tone from the president. i'll get to that in a minute but on debt ceiling, you're absolutely right. when you take that sentence, what he was trying to say because he's not talking about having plan "b"s in his back pocket, things like minting coins, 14th amendment which senate democrats are begging him to do. he's saying, no, if we default, he wants to make it clear then republicans will have decided not to send out social security checks, not to pay our military, not to do these things, so you're right, he's hoping that the political blame -- now, the irony here, chris, is senior republican leaders, they agree with the president on that. any though that that's a politically bad place for them to be. the question is it's going to shift to the government funding and shut down going forward and there talking to aides, they get -- that's up for negotiation. but they want it separated from debt creating. >> let's talk about this debt ceiling thing, howard. do you think the press

objectively can report the way the president tried to sell it, which is if this government can't pay its debts, refuses to pay it because of the debt ceiling, is that la republican decision or is it going to be played conflict in washington, gridlock, both parties to plame? >> well, the president said in the press conference i think people will blame all of washington, but he didn't mean it. and he doesn't believe it. he thinks, and i think rightly thinks, that the political onus will be on the republicans. the president said we aren't a deadbeat nation which is one of many great quotes in that press conference. >> i like that word deadbeat. >> we aren't a deadbeat nation and he said the republicans will turn us into a deadbeat nation if they do what they're threatening -- >> if sib else object to the question. if there's a different answer i'll sep it. did the democrats ever play the game of not paying the bills of the united states government as a tactic. >> the democrats including the president when he was a senator voted against raising the debt ceiling -- >> not enough --

>> some democrats. but not to this extent and not in a partiwide thing. this is important for the president for a couple reasons. one of them is his second term agenda. which we're looking at the challenges of in a "huffington post" series called the road forward. if he wants to go forward, if he wants to complete the job on health care and on bank regulation and on immigration and on a whole host of things, he's got to beat the republicans politically. he's got to beat them on spending, and he's got to back them into a corner politically. he's got a chance to be more consequential in a second term -- this is usual -- >> what's his one two three agen agenda. >> gun control, immigration reform, and number one is what chuck was grilling him on today, which is his strategy on beating the republicans on debt and spending. >> fiscal victory -- >> then immigration and gun control. >> is that how you see it one, two, three, chuck?

>> he can't do anything until the budget showdowns are over. >> right. >> hand they can't be piecemeal. you're not going to get immigration, not going to get guns. i question whether guns ultimately is going to get done right now. the president himself seems to believe if public opinion is not with him to get it done, then he's going to not going to be able to do that with congress going all the way i think that's the second question. i think the most consequential issue he has to deal with after the budget shutdown is simply implementing obama care, implementing his health care plan. >> making it work. >> that's right. that is going to define his legacy -- >> wait a minute. wait a minute, chuck. i think you're right. a lot of obama care is administrative. it is just the grinding details of administrative government. >> building it essentially. >> but the other thing is the republicans are going to twri to attack medicaid, chris, and medicare, but medicaid in particular. if they drain and slash funding for medicaid in the regular budget negotiations that chuck

is talking about, that will make implementing obama care that much harder because a lot of the money to expand coverage for the uninsured comes from medicaid. >> okay. i think immigration is my biggie for this year. >> that's the legacy thing for him. >> that's easy to do. >> i think so, too. i have never understood why it's so hard to do immigration. >> but it is now easy to do. now it's easy. that's right. now it's easier. look, deals don't get done in washington unless there is political benefit for both sides. >> right. >> and on immigration republicans know they have to get it done. it will get done. that's the easiest thing on the president's agenda. >> let them put the teeth in it, get the issue off their back where they want it off their back so they can start making -- building constituency among latinos. anyway, i want to get this this hot question of gender. this is the he president answer problem. he fought back on the recent criticism of being surrounded by men in his inner circle and top cabinet post. let's listen to his defense. i don't think it was very strong but here it is. >> if you think about my first

four years, the person who probably had the most influence on my foreign policy was a woman. the people who were in charge of moving forward my most important domestic initiative, health care, were women. the person in charge of our homeland security was a woman. my two appointments to the supreme court were women, and 50% of my white house staff were women. so i think people should expect that that record will be built upon during the next four years. >> well, but listening to andrea mitchell's reporting on this, and i have been following it, and i look at the top four jobs, state, treasury, defense and attorney general and chief of staff. the top five jobs, they're all going to four white guys and one -- >> right now we're having three white guys debate this. let's be self-aware here.

let's just be self-aware. that's all. >> i can't change myself as quickly as the topics change but go ahead, chuck, you wise guy. >> the president said today don't judge me, let's see what else i do. that made me wonder if the chief of staff thing is a done deal. >> i thought the same thing, howard. >> chuck will know more than i do. if there's a woman he could bring in for chief of staff and i can think of a couple really good ones. >> sure. >> one of them is cecilia munoz, who i am incredibly -- >> would she fit the bill? >> i think she knows how to move the paper and make decisions. >> do you think he has somebody comfort as chief of staff who is not a white male? >> i think he wants to name somebody he's comfortable with, period, and i think when you look at the two people he's considering, they both are people he knows very well. dennis really comfortable with. somebody he spends -- and i think ultimately in your chief of staff, you better be careful if you're playing too much -- worrying too much about your

outside politics, you could make a bad pick at chief of staff and for instance the president still feel as if he got talked into bill daley and that was never the perfect fit on that front. but to go back to this issue of the diversity thing, i think that the white house is being held -- they brought this higher standard on themselves when they smacked around mitt romney on binders full of women and the issues that they made in their campaign. this bothers them, this line of attack, it bothers the president, but that's why it's coming. they sort of raised the bar, if you will. >> we can always do better here chuck in response to your shot at me. he can always do better -- >> no -- >> we can always do better in terms of diversity but you two guys got second billing. you're in "b" block tonight, not "a" block. i'm saying we have to be self-aware, right? >> if you knew how much i do care about this, and we all do. up next, donald trump's latest conspiracy theory about the obama administration. this is "hardball," the place

for politics. thank you, howard. chronic osteoarthritis pain. imagine living your life with less chronic low back pain. imagine you with less pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal

pain. one non-narcotic pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not for children under 18. people taking maois, linezolid or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing skin or eyes. tell your doctor about all your medicines, including those for migraine and while on cymbalta, call right away if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles or serious allergic skin reactions like blisters, peeling rash, hives, or mouth sores to address possible life-threatening conditions. talk about your alcohol use, liver disease and before you reduce or stop cymbalta. dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. ask your doctor about cymbalta. imagine you with less pain. cymbalta can help. go to cymbalta.com to learn about a free trial offer.

we believe the more you know, the better you trade. so we have ongoing webinars and interactive learning, plus, in-branch seminars at over 500 locations, where our dedicated support teams help you know more so your money can do more. [ rodger ] at scottrade, seven dollar trades are just the start. our teams have the information you want when you need it. it's another reason more investors are saying... [ all ] i'm with scottrade.

back to "hardball." the house science committee strikes again. the latest anti-science move from the republican-led committee comes from georgia congressman paul brown. you might know him best from this. >> i've come to understand all this stuff i was talking about, evolution, em biology, big bang theory, all that is lies straight from the pit of hell. there are a lot of scientific data i found out as a scientist that actually show that this is really a young earth. i don't believe that the earth is but about 9,000 years old. >> don't know much about biology. brown was one of the republicans two voted against 123u7nding for hurricane sandy relief and he hasn't given up with the next

round of funding being put up for a vote later this week. he's proposed amendments to the bill that would remove funding for research of future flooding and oil spill prevention. no surprise brown is not a believer in climate change either. next, on friday i told you about the state lawmakers in wyoming who want to block any new federal gun law from being enforced. well, now it's texas that's up to it. state representative steve top is proposing legislation that wik it against the law to enforce federal bans on ammunition or assault weapons in the lone star state, nullification back again. here he is. >> this is a hardened state. it isn't a good place for a criminal to show up and start shooting. we want to make sure that this legislation protects the second amendment gun rights and the tenth amendment which is state sovereignty rights of texans. >> yahoo. when we start hearing things like state sovereignty, it's like that old precivil war talk of nullification. next, former senator jim

demint has called obama care specifically the individual mandate, inconsistent with liberty. demint retired from the senate to head up the heritage foundation, a conservative think tank. the group released this year's index of economic prodom. the top teb have government run health care. hong kong at number one has a publicly run system with most hospitals owned by the government. and australia, number three on the list, everyone is eligible for a government-run health care provider. in chile, number seven on the list, everyone has to maintain a health savings account to cover their own costs. and the government helps low income individuals maintain the funds. after all, the heritage foundation promoted the idea of a mandate, an individual mandate, way back in the 1980s. skts, that was before obama chose to support it which meant they couldn't support it anymore. finally, guess who sees a secretive side to jack lew? president obama's pick for secretary of the treasury. his signature to be precise. >> you know, i really actually

do analyze handwriting. i think you can tell a lot about a person by their handwriting and his handwriting is not quite as bad as people think. it's extremely secretive. it shows he's a very, very secretive person. unbelievable secretive, and which in itself is interesting. >> donald trump, the new expert at documentation. anyway, secretive is what you call right wingers who refuse to share what is giving the money. that's the big secret in this country. up next, one month after newtown, vice president joe biden has made his list to help prevent gun violence but what can the president actually get passed. that's the big one coming up, gun control, gun safety. you're watching "hardball," the place for politics. or gets greas for his small business! your boa! [ garth ] thor's small business earns double miles on every purchase, every day! ahh, the new fabrics. put it on my spark card. ow. [ garth ] why settle for less? the spiked heels are working. wait! [ garth ] great businesses deserve great rewards.

[ male announcer ] the spark business card from capital one. choose unlimited rewards with double miles or 2% cash back on every purchase, every day! what's in your wallet? [ cheers and applause ] gun control, gun safety. gun control, gun safety. this is america. we don't let frequent heartburn come between us and what we love. so if you're one of them people who gets heartburn

and then treats day after day... block the acid with prilosec otc and don't get heartburn in the first place! [ male announcer ] one pill each morning. 24 hours. zero heartburn. my ex-girlfriend... 7th grade math teacher. who is this? that's pete. my... [ dennis' voice ] allstate agent. a "starving artist" has an allstate agent? he got me... [ dennis' voice ] the allstate value plan. it's their most affordable car insurance and you still get an agent. [ normal voice ] i call it... gun control, gun safety. is that what you call it? the protector! okay. ♪ the allstate value plan. are you in good hands?

i'm hampton pearson with your cnbc market wrap. after a day of sluggish trading,

the dow gained 18 points. the s&p fell 1 point. and the nasdaq losing 8. a good day for dell which soared 13% amid rumors about a potential buyout. mums the word to far. and apple continues to lose ground as iphone 5 sales fail to impress. not helping a report the company slash the orders for iphone parts due to weak demand. that's it from cnbc, first in business worldwide. now back to "hardball." if, in fact, and i believe this is true, everybody across party lines was as deeply moved and saddened as i was by what happened in newtown, then we're going to have to vote based on

what we think is best. we're going to have to come up with answers that set politics aside. >> welcome back to paul. ths been one month since the horrific tragedy at sandy hook elementary school. today president obama said he has a set of proposals give to him today from vice president biden. in his press conference this morning, the president signaled what may be coming in their recommendations and how they may go into effect. let's watch. >> what you can count on is that the things that i have said in the past, the belief that we have to have stronger background checks, that we can do a much better job in terms of keeping these magazine clips with high capacity out of hands of folks who shouldn't have them, an assault weapons ban that is meaningful, that those are things i continue to believe make sense. my understanding is the vice president is going to provide a range of steps that we can take

to reduce gun violence. some of them will require legislation, some of them i can accomplish through executive action, and so i'll be reviewing those today and as i said, i'll speak in more detail to what the we're going to go ahead and propose later in the week. >> u.s. congresswoman jackie spear of california was among a group of house democrats that met with vice president biden today. she herself is a shooting victim. david corn is washington bureau chof for "mother joans." congresswoman, thank you for joining us. what can you tell us on the record about what might be in the vice president's package of proposals? >> i think what you heard the president say will certainly be in that package. he also vice president biden indicated that there were some 19 areas that he was able to identify that the president could take action on through executive order. he didn't go into detail on what they might be, but suffice it to say there will be some considered that will not require

congressional action. the vice president did a great job of meeting with 270 people representing every imaginable interest on this issue, and i think it's the most comprehensive look at guns in probably a generation coming from the white house. >> well, you represent an area of the country out on the coast, just south of san francisco, and more liberal than the last of the country but in this big heartland of our country, really in the middle, it's so pro-gun rights. what do you think has the best chance of passing the congress in both houses, republican and democrat? >> i think a universal background check is absolutely imperative. 40% of the guns that are purchased in this country right now do not go through that background check. either because they're at local gun shows or personal sales, private sales. so the fact that even that database we have does not include persons who are on the terror watch list or persons who

are fugitives from the law or who are stalkers, i think it's given us all reason to pause to think what are we doing here? at the very least we have to have a comprehensive break ground check. >> david, studying in politics in the way you stud dwri it, what's the best bet? >> i think it is background checks. i think it has more influence than the high magazines, the high capacity magazines, because it really does keep bad people away from the guns potentially. >> if you can do it because just getting the data available if you want to include people with mental difficulties and criminal checks, i mean, the nra has opposed this time and time again. they don't want a database because they don't want these background checks. i mean -- >> why are they against them? >> they don't want any limitations on people to buy beguns, including people who shouldn't be able to buy guns. i mean, 46%, as the congresswoman just said, can buy guns without having to go through a background check because they go to gun shows, buy online, or buy from the buddy down the street or some guy they met in the bar five

minutes ago. and the nra has consistently fought against doing anything about those sort of gun sales. now, i think this is -- >> why don't they sell guns in bars? there's a point where any reasonable person says, no, don't sell guns in bar rooms, tap rooms. >> a big issue that the congresswoman and the vice president and everyone has to take into account, if you look back in '94 when bill clinton got the ban on assault weapons through, he did that as part of a big crime bill with a lot of stuff the conservatives wanted like expanding the death penalty. if you do it bit by bit or if it's a bill just about gun safety or gun violence prevention, it may be harder to get through. >> let me ask the congresswoman. do you think we can get a government -- something through the congress that doesn't get encased in some big right center left package which includes some things liberals won't like? >> well, i think anything that does pass is going to have to have something appealing to the right and to the left. and certainly the interests of those who are hunters in terms

of making sure that the conservation dollars are there is there's plenty of ducks to be shot at has appeal as well. so i think we've got to make very clear to the american people though, we're not talking about taking guns away from anyone. the second amendment is very clear, the heller supreme court decision made it very clear. we're not talking about those who are hunters and who use it for recreation or those who keep them in their homes for personal safety. we're talking about these guns that massively destroy people and that are assault weapons for military action. >> well said. do you think we can do it? >> i hope so. i hope -- you know, bill clinton was smart last time. he surrounded himself with tops and public safety advocates and built a big coalition. another type that the congresswoman would want to be part of. you have to keep the pressure on and make it a neighborhood issue with people other than just the people who care about gun control leading the charge. >> thank you so much.

my wife started in politics, actually ended in politics working for pete who has become more liberal than any of us at this table. >> a great friend. >> thank you so much, congresswoman. up next, if you watched last night's golden gob awards you mites have come away with a renewed feeling of optimism. that's ahead. the movies are making us look good. that's "hardball," the place for politics. what are you doing? nothing.

are you stealing our daughter's school supplies and taking them to work? no, i was just looking for my stapler and my... this thing. i save money by using fedex ground and buy my own supplies. that's a great idea. i'm going to go... we got clients in today. [ male announcer ] save on ground shipping at fedex office. impact wool exports from new zealand, textile production in spain, and the use of medical technology in the u.s.? at t. rowe price, we understand the connections of a complex, global economy. it's just one reason over 75% of our mutual funds beat their 10-year lipper average. t. rowe price. invest with confidence. request a prospectus or summary prospectus with investment information, risks, fees and expenses to read and consider carefully before investing. in 1977 jimmy carter took

the oath of office to become the 39th president and with trust in government at a low point after watergate and the vietnam war, the new president took a symbolic step that changed that image. after he was sworn in and delivered his inaugural address, carter and wife roslyn walked the entire inaugural parade route from along pennsylvania avenue from the capitol all the way down to the white house. he was the first president in history to do so. we'll be right back. [ roasting firewood ]

♪ many hot dogs are within you. try pepto-bismol to-go, it's the power of pepto, but it fits in your pocket. now tell the world daniel... of pepto-bismol to-go. now tell the world daniel... i i had pain in my abdomen...g. it just wouldn't go away. i was spotting, but i had already gone through menopause. these symptoms may be nothing... but they could be early warning signs of a gynecologic cancer, such as cervical, ovarian, or uterine cancer. feeling bloated for no reason. that's what i remember. seeing my doctor probably saved my life. warning signs are not the same for everyone. if you think something's wrong... see your doctor. ask about gynecologic cancer. and get the inside knowledge. mommy's having a french fry.

yes she is, yes she is. [ bop ] [ male announcer ] could've had a v8. 100% vegetable juice, with three of your daily vegetable servings in every little bottle. executor of efficiency. you can spot an amateur from a mile away... while going shoeless and metal-free in seconds. and you...rent from national. because only national lets you choose any car in the aisle...and go. you can even take a full-size or above, and still pay the mid-size price. now this...will work. [ male announcer ] just like you, business pro. just like you. go national. go like a pro. and the golden globe goes o to -- "game change." >> thank you hollywood foreign

press so much. i want to thank you for encouraging people to talk more about politics. it's a great year for that obviously and all the films. >> welcome back to "hardball." that was the director of game change jay roach. they got us talking about politics. ben affleck won for "argo" about the rescue of six americans who fled the u.s. embassy in tehran in 1979. he thanked the cia agent on whom the story was based. >> really this award is about tony mendez, he's an american history, he represents the clandestine service and the foreign service that is making sacrifices on behalf of americans every day. the troops serving overseas. i want to thank them neflz. >> the movie "lincoln" about the politics of passing the 13th amendment was introduced by president bill clinton who could empathize with the 16th president. let's listen. >> a tough fight to push a bill through a bitterly divided house

of representatives. winning it required the president to make a lot of unsavory deals that lot of unsavory deals. they had nothing to do with the big issue. i wouldn't know anything about that. >> well, amy power and tina faye had their own reaction. here they go. >> what an exciting special guest. that was hillary clinton's husband. >> that was bill clinton. >> that was. >> that's right. >> wow, many of the movies nominated reflected america feels good about itself because this movies show our system may be messy, but most of the time, it works. thank you, gentlemen, for joining us. i love themes, i love award shows. i think the golden globe is always the best because you're allowed to drink, which is always an impressive fact. and inevitably, somebody gives a

long winded inexplicable speech. last time, i remember it was warren beatty. and the other guy, clint eastwood could keep going so late in life. what was that speech about by jody foster, ted? >> i do think it was coming out. i think she made it kind of pretty clear. yeah, i think it was coming out. but it was also a lot of talk about why she's really guarded her privacy for so long. >> that's a good argument. >> that's an arlgment we'll have the rest of our lives. privacy versus telling everybody who you are. i'm sort of with the privacy crowd. let me ask you about this political theme. once you did a mup vee about politics or baseball, it died. there was a theory we may spend a lot of time doing those things, but they don't work in the movies. what's changed? >> i think these movies are much better marketed.

just take a movie like "lincoln." the build up for this movie started right after the election when people were really kind of euphoric about what had just occurred. and the dreamworks, which did this movie, they got a screening at the white house. they got screening up at the senate. they got mitch mcconnell and harry read. and as you now see, they now have endorsement. >> it looks to me -- no, not joan, who else is joining me? mark thank you, mark. is this part of a marketing campaign to win the oscar? >> listen, i definitely think it's part of the campaign to win the oscar. if you're going to have a lobbyist lobbying for you to win the oscar, who better than bill clin to be. this is a guy who could have came on and introduced kwt zero

dark 30." no, he chose "lincoln". >> ted, i loved argo. i've only been to a couple movies in my life where people applaud like mad. it's a movie. who are you aplaued? but you're applauding because you want to applaud. they did it at the end of this movie. he was such a thrilling example with a can-do example. but that's about nirvana, basically. that's about shangrilah. but this time, what is it about america? the foreign press just jumped on this movie and chose it over "lincoln requests. >> i have to say, i think having ben affleck there really does tend to favor star-driven projects if you look back at their history. buff i also think that the time has come. we've gone through this period where the academy, the motion picture academy has awarded some pretty hard-hitting pictures.

they really looked at the iraq war. i think this is a kind of new patriotism. >> it's small-counsel tri thinking. it's we can do it, too. we can pull this off. mark, that's my sense. the great thing about the escapade. it was the good guys. it was a cape herb movie. it was good guys. not trying to steal a die monld, but get our people home. >> what i loved about it, you didn't know this story. no one knew it. so to unearth this story and tell it -- well, i didn't. sorry. you didn't -- you couldn't write this stuff for the movies, it was so bizarre. >> well, let me ask you about the fun of "zero dark 30." it's not fun. you talk to ted about a dark movie. that's -- i haven't seen it yet. i actually loved moe ed most of movies i've seen this year. why are movies getting so darn good again. i mean, movies -- like that grey

one i just saw, "silver lining playbook." that's an amazing movie. >> first of all, i think this was a really great year for the movies. last week, we were talking about some of the oscar snubs. people who didn't get nominated in certain categories. you can analyze that to death, by it may come to the point that there's only five slots available and there's a lot of really good contenders. i have to say, i think zero dark 30 speaks to what's happened in film making today. the bar is higher. in the past, hollywood probably would have waited several years to actually make this movie. instead, they're making this plu vee just a cup lt months after -- >> okay, ted, who's going to win best picture? >> i would still say that "lincoln" is kind of the front runner. but, really, last night kind of threw everything else up in the air.

>> i'm hoping for "silver lining's play book." it's snot ju ee it's not just because it's about philly. i loved the show. [ female announcer ] need help keeping your digestive balance? try the #1 gastroenterologist recommended probiotic. align. align naturally helps maintain digestive balance. ♪ ooh, baby, can i do for you today? ♪ try align today. ♪ ooh, baby, can i do for you today? ♪ we replaced people with a machine.r,

what? customers didn't like it. so why do banks do it? hello? hello?! if your bank doesn't let you talk to a real person 24/7, you need an ally. hello? ally bank. your money needs an ally. but, dad, you've got... [ voice of dennis ] allstate. with accident forgiveness, they guarantee your rates won't go up just because of an accident. smart kid. [ voice of dennis ] indeed. are you in good hands? to help protect your eye health as you age... would you take it? well, there is. [ male announcer ] it's called ocuvite. a vitamin totally dedicated to your eyes, from the eye care experts at bausch + lomb. as you age, eyes can lose vital nutrients. ocuvite helps replenish key eye nutrients. ocuvite has a unique formula not found in your multivitamin

to help protect your eye health. now that's a pill worth taking. [ male announcer ] ocuvite. help protect your eye health.